My favorite employee appreciation event

In the fast and furious life of an IT manager, it is easy to focus on the work and forget about your employees who are doing the work. Ask yourself this question:

“When was the last time you thanked your IT staff?”

I put some things into motion that forces me to remember to thank my employees for the hard work they do. First, I include a recognition component in every monthly staff meeting. I also like to have at least one “just for fun” event in every staff meeting, , , something that says, “I appreciate you.”.

Second, I will have my secretary remind me twice a month to do something that shows my appreciation for my employees.

My favorite employee appreciation event is to buy ice cream sandwiches or popsicles in the afternoon and pass them out to my employees. It gives me a reason to visit them in their work area, creates a short break for them, , , and exhibits the fact that I appreciate what they do for our company.

You see, that’s really the big deal, , , and it is a big deal. It shows employees that their manager appreciates them.

In the IT world, your employees don’t receive a great deal of appreciation from their customers (other department managers and users). For many, they feel unappreciated by others in the company. You can turn this around by handing out ice cream and doing other things that demonstrate an appreciation of their efforts.

IT employees have a huge need to feel appreciated and to receive recognition for their work, , , they seek out confirmation that they are doing a good job.

In your IT manager role, one of the key responsibilities you have is to build team camaraderie and motivate your employees. Appreciation and recognition events go a long way in doing this. Never underestimate the importance it has when you show your employees you appreciate them.

Doing things like this tells your employees, “Thank you.”; and it means a great deal to them.